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Showing papers in "Journal of Management Studies in 2010"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a systematic review of literature published over the past 27 years, synthesize various research perspectives into a comprehensive multi-dimensional framework of organizational innovation - linking leadership, innovation as a process, and innovation as an outcome.
Abstract: This paper consolidates the state of academic research on innovation. Based on a systematic review of literature published over the past 27 years, we synthesize various research perspectives into a comprehensive multi-dimensional framework of organizational innovation - linking leadership, innovation as a process, and innovation as an outcome. We also suggest measures of determinants of organizational innovation and present implications for both research and managerial practice.

2,414 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine diversification decisions of family firms and suggest that on average family firms diversify less both domestically and internationally than non-family firms, and when they do diversify, family firms tend to opt for domestic rather than international diversification, and those that go the latter route prefer to choose regions that are "culturally close".
Abstract: This study examines diversification decisions of family firms and suggests that on average family firms diversify less both domestically and internationally than non-family firms. When they do diversify, family firms tend to opt for domestic rather than international diversification, and those that go the latter route prefer to choose regions that are ‘culturally close’. Lastly, we find that family firms are more willing to diversify as business risk increases. The hypotheses are tested using a sample of 360 firms, 160 of them being family-controlled and the rest (200) non-family-controlled.

937 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the core themes that underlie sensemaking in crisis situations: shared meanings and emotion, and examine when and how shared meaning and emotion are more and less likely to enable more helpful or adaptive sensemaking.
Abstract: When Karl Weick's seminal article, ‘Enacted Sensemaking in Crisis Situations’, was published in 1988, it caused the field to think very differently about how crises unfold in organizations, and how emergent crises might be more quickly curtailed. More than 20 years later, we offer insights inspired by the central ideas in that article. Beginning with an exploration of key sensemaking studies in the crisis and change literatures, we reflect on lessons learned about sensemaking in turbulent conditions since Weick (1988), and argue for two core themes that underlie sensemaking in such contexts: shared meanings and emotion. We examine when and how shared meanings and emotion are more and less likely to enable more helpful, or adaptive, sensemaking, and conclude with some suggestions for future research in the sensemaking field.

738 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors derive a size moderated stakeholder model and apply it to a firm's adoption of proactive environmental practices, finding that smaller firms are more responsive to value-chain, internal, and regulatory stakeholder pressures.
Abstract: While smaller firms are less likely to undertake as many environmental practices as larger firms, extant literature suggests that smaller firms may be more responsive to stakeholder pressures. This paper contributes to the development of stakeholder theory by deriving a size moderated stakeholder model and applying it to a firm's adoption of proactive environmental practices. The empirical results show that smaller firms are more responsive to value-chain, internal, and regulatory stakeholder pressures. These findings suggest that researchers evaluating organizations and the natural environment should be cautious about associating stakeholder pressures directly with firms' environmental strategies. Rather, the relationship between stakeholder pressures and environmental strategy tends to vary with size.

735 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work discusses the assumptions that underlie path dependence, and provides the outlines of an alternative perspective which is labelled as path creation, a notion of agency that is distributed and emergent through relational processes that constitute phenomena.
Abstract: We discuss the assumptions that underlie path dependence, as defined by Vergne and Durand, and then provide the outlines of an alternative perspective which we label as path creation Path creation entertains a notion of agency that is distributed and emergent through relational processes that constitute phenomena Viewed from this perspective, ‘initial conditions’ are not given, ‘contingencies’ are emergent contexts for action, ‘self-reinforcing mechanisms’ are strategically manipulated, and ‘lock-in’ is but a temporary stabilization of paths in-the-making We develop these points using a narrative approach and highlight the theoretical and methodological implications of our perspective

629 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss and examine recent claims that research on knowledge processes has paid insufficient attention to micro (individual) level constructs and mechanisms and to the role of formal organization in governing knowledge processes.
Abstract: We discuss and examine recent claims that research on knowledge processes has paid insufficient attention to micro (individual) level constructs and mechanisms and to the role of formal organization in governing knowledge processes. We review knowledge sharing research published in 13 (top academic plus top practitioner-oriented) journals in the period 1996–2006 in relation to these two propositions. The review confirms the claim that the knowledge sharing literature is preoccupied with constructs, processes, and phenomena defined at a macro (collective, organizational) level and pay comparatively little attention to micro level constructs. The review provides less support for the proposition that formal governance mechanisms have been under-researched in comparison to formal organization. Still, the multiple ways in which formal governance mechanisms may interact in influencing knowledge sharing outcomes have been under-researched, as has the interaction between more informal aspects of the firm and formal governance mechanisms. We argue that future research on knowledge sharing needs to fill these gaps.

584 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors study the role of human capital and early planning in the early planning process of a nascent entrepreneur and find that entrepreneurial experience has only indirect effects on the emergence of a venture.
Abstract: Nascent entrepreneurs continuously evaluate the merits of the opportunities they pursue and so can abandon those that lack promise and persist with those that remain attractive. This paper articulates this evolving judgment about the opportunity as the nascent entrepreneur's opportunity confidence. It situates this construct in the context of the nascent entrepreneur's human capital and early planning actions in respect to the pursued opportunity, and in respect to the emergence of the nascent venture. Analyses of PSED data show that opportunity confidence positively affects venture emergence and that, through it, entrepreneurial experience and early planning have only indirect effects on venture emergence. In contrast, industry experience has a direct, positive effect on venture emergence. These results provide some novel insights into the nascent entrepreneurial process as well as into the role of human capital and early planning in that process.

561 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose a new research agenda that searches for each firm's optimal degree of disaggregation and global dispersion given that further scattering of value chain activities entail benefits as well as increased complexity and costs.
Abstract: In the largest sense, global strategy amounts to (1) the optimal disaggregation or slicing of the firm's value chain into as many constituent pieces as organizationally and economically feasible, followed by (2) decisions as how each slice should be allocated geographically ('offshoring') and organizationally ('outsourcing'). Offshoring and outsourcing are treated as strategies that need to be simultaneously analysed, where just 'core' segments of the value chain are retained in-house, while others are optimally dispersed geographically, as well as dispersed over allies and contractors. This amounts to a reconsideration of the nature of the firm that captures the dynamic changes in global configuration and a reconsideration of what constitutes 'core' activities that need to be retained internally. The article proposes a new research agenda that searches for each firm's optimal degree of disaggregation and global dispersion given that further scattering of value chain activities entail benefits as well as increased complexity and costs.

527 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that these gains from R&D outsourcing need to be balanced against the "pains" that stem from a dilution of firm-specific resources, the deterioration of integrative capabilities and the high demands on management attention.
Abstract: The outsourcing of research and development (R&D) activities has frequently been characterized as an important instrument to acquire external technological knowledge that is subsequently integrated into a firm's own knowledge base However, in this paper we argue that these ‘gains’ from R&D outsourcing need to be balanced against the ‘pains’ that stem from a dilution of firm-specific resources, the deterioration of integrative capabilities and the high demands on management attention Based on a panel dataset of innovating firms in Germany, we find evidence for an inverse U-shaped relationship between R&D outsourcing and innovation performance This relationship is positively moderated by the extent to which firms engage in internal R&D and by the breadth of formal R&D collaborations: both serve as an instrument to increase the effectiveness of R&D outsourcing

490 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the impact of family ownership and control on firm value is associated with the level of shareholder protection embodied in legal and regulatory institutions of a country, and the contours of a cross-country, institution-based view of corporate governance are sketched.
Abstract: There is a major debate regarding the role of concentrated family ownership and control in large firms, with three positions suggesting that such concentration is (1) good, (2) bad, or (3) irrelevant for firm value. Why are there such differences? We theorize that the impact of family ownership and control on firm value is associated with the level of shareholder protection embodied in legal and regulatory institutions of a country. Data from 634 publicly listed large family firms in seven Asian countries (Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) are used to test our hypotheses. Overall, this article sketches the contours of a cross-country, institution-based view of corporate governance, and leads to a more informed understanding of the crucial role of institutions behind family ownership and control in large firms.

427 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the relationship between HRM practices, conceptualized at the workplace level, and individual employee attitudes and behaviour, focusing on two possible explanations for the relationship: social exchange and job influence/employee discretion.
Abstract: We examine the relationship between HRM practices, conceptualized at the workplace level, and individual employee attitudes and behaviour. We focus on two possible explanations for the relationship: social exchange and job influence/employee discretion. Findings from a study of employees in North-East England suggest that there is a positive impact of HRM practices on organizational citizenship behaviour, through an effect on perceived job influence/discretion. There was no such effect for perceived organizational support. These findings provide support for a job influence and opportunity explanation of HRM effects on employee attitudes and behaviour.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the affect of family management on performance of the company and found that while the presence of a family CEO is beneficial for firm performance, the coexistence of 'factions' in family and non-family managers within the TMT has the potential to create schisms among the subgroups and consequently hurt firm performance.
Abstract: This article examines the affect of family management on performance of the company. We examine how familiness can provide further insights beyond the classical demographic measures of top management teams (TMTs) in explaining variations in firms' financial performance. We combine arguments on the 'bright' and 'dark' side of family involvement in the firm; we complement positive predictions on family involvement with negative predictions and develop family firm-specific measures of TMTs' familiness. Results indicate that while the presence of a family CEO is beneficial for firm performance, the coexistence of 'factions' in family and non-family managers within the TMT has the potential to create schisms among the subgroups and consequently hurt firm performance. We find support for a hypothesized U-shaped relationship between the ratio of family members in the TMT and firm performance. Additional evidence related to interactions between firm listing and CEO type on firm performance is then presented and discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors synthesize research from multiple disciplines on different types of owners and offer a unifying framework of governance through ownership, describing the motivations of various types of ownership, the tactics owners use to affect firms in which they are invested, and the dominant firm outcomes these owners seek to influence.
Abstract: Firm ownership is an increasingly influential form of corporate governance. Although firms might be owned by different types of owners, most studies examine owner influence on a particular firm outcome in isolation. This study synthesizes research from multiple disciplines on different types of owners and offers a unifying framework of governance through ownership. Using this framework, we describe the motivations of various types of owners, the tactics owners use to affect firms in which they are invested, and the dominant firm outcomes these owners seek to influence. We note how heightened managerial awareness of heterogeneous owner interests increases owner influence on firm-level outcomes. We also provide a roadmap for future study and offer research questions about where scholars might turn their attention to better understand the role of owners in directing firm actions. Our study draws attention to emerging forms of ownership, such as hedge funds and sovereign wealth funds, and highlights the changing (and often competing) interests of shareholders and how this impacts theories of governance.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors provide a formal definition of path dependence that disentangles process and outcome, and identify the necessary conditions for path dependence; distinguishing clearly between path dependence and other 'history matters' kinds of mechanisms; and specifying the missing link between theoretical and empirical path dependence.
Abstract: Path dependence is a central construct in organizational research, used to describe a mechanism that connects the past and the future in an abstract way. However, across institutional, technology, and strategy literatures, it remains unclear why path dependence sometimes occurs and sometimes not, why it sometimes lead to inefficient outcomes and sometimes not, how it differs from mere increasing returns, and how scholars can empirically support their claims on path dependence. Hence, path dependence is not yet a theory since it does not causally relate identified variables in a systematized manner. Instead, the existing literature tends to conflate path dependence as a process (i.e. history unfolding in a self-reinforcing manner) and as an outcome (i.e. a persisting state of the world with specific properties, called 'lock-in'). This paper contributes theoretically and methodologically to tackling these issues by: (1) providing a formal definition of path dependence that disentangles process and outcome, and identifies the necessary conditions for path dependence; (2) distinguishing clearly between path dependence and other 'history matters' kinds of mechanisms; and (3) specifying the missing link between theoretical and empirical path dependence. In particular, we suggest moving away from historical case studies of supposedly path-dependent processes to focus on more controlled research designs such as simulations, experiments, and counterfactual investigation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors link the management and IB literatures by addressing intrinsic drivers (management commitment to ethics) in conjunction with extrinsic (trade-related) drivers for both foreign-and domestically-owned firms in a single-market setting.
Abstract: The literature on corporate social performance (CSP) is largely split between approaches that consider CSP to be extrinsically driven and those that consider it to be intrinsically driven. While the management literature has paid attention to drivers of both types, the relationship between the two remains largely unstudied, particularly in the international setting. Meanwhile, the international business (IB) literature has addressed the international dimension of CSP more directly, but focuses largely on extrinsic pressures. Our paper links the management and IB literatures by addressing intrinsic drivers (management commitment to ethics) in conjunction with extrinsic (trade-related) drivers for both foreign- and domestically-owned firms in a single-market setting. Using survey data from 121 auto parts suppliers in Mexico, we find that management commitment to ethics is a dominant driver of CSP among both foreign and domestic firms. More importantly, management commitment to ethics interacts positively with trade-related pressures in raising CSP levels.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An updated analysis of the Bhopal disaster suggests that problems of abduction, awareness, reliability, and certainty were more serious than was first thought as mentioned in this paper, and that the tight coupling between cognition and action, normally associated with enacted sense-making, broke down at Bhopsal, including a low standard of plausibility, minimal doubt, infrequent updating of both mental models and current hunches.
Abstract: An updated analysis of the Bhopal disaster suggests that problems of abduction, awareness, reliability, and certainty were more serious than was first thought. Expanded analysis shows that the tight coupling between cognition and action, normally associated with enacted sensemaking, broke down at Bhopal. The breakdowns included a low standard of plausibility, minimal doubt, infrequent updating of both mental models and current hunches, and mindless action. The modest enactment that did occur prolonged rather than shortened the crisis.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the magnitude, sequence, and dynamics of interdependent decisions regarding the location and control of various parts of the value chain in mobile handset and financial services industries.
Abstract: One important effect of the increasing integration of the world economy is the rising importance of possibilities to offshore and outsource value-creating activities. In many industries, firms are able to disaggregate their value chains into smaller parts. This process allows for a less path-dependent approach to the firm's ideal location profile (through offshoring and relocation) and control strategies (through outsourcing). This article argues that optimal decisions regarding individual processes recognize the linkages of these processes with the firm's entire value chain. The article explores the magnitude, sequence, and dynamics of interdependent decisions regarding the location and control of various parts of the value chain. By using case illustrations from the mobile handset and financial services industries, this article provides a novel perspective on the disintegration, mobility, and reintegration of value chain activities in a global context.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared the performance consequences of board and ownership ties to the government with the consequences of the board ties to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and found that ties to SOEs are associated with higher profitability.
Abstract: In many countries governments not only regulate business activities, but also become involved in the corporate governance of individual firms through ownership and board ties. While existing studies usually focus either on benefits of political connections or on costs of government influence, a political embeddedness perspective helps us consider both advantages and constraints associated with ties to the government. In particular, firms with direct ties to the government will experience significant costs associated with government officials' involvement in the corporate governance process. In contrast, firms with ties to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are connected to the government indirectly and thus, while getting access to state-owned resources, avoid costs associated with the government's interventions. This study compares the performance consequences of board and ownership ties to the government with the consequences of board and ownership ties to SOEs. I find that ties to SOEs are associated with higher profitability, while no significant differences are discovered for firms with direct ties to the government.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors found that the most positive relationship between financial slack and performance for new manufacturing firms was in low discretion environments (hostile and stable environments) where firms need to develop their own opportunities.
Abstract: Strategy-based models centre on the management of unique and valuable resources to take advantage of specific market opportunities. Less examined in this approach are the roles of slack resources in the process of generating firm value – particularly for new firms in ‘tough’ environments where fewer opportunities are available. Using a cohort panel of 951 new manufacturing firms over nine years, our findings provide evidence for the importance of financial slack resources in understanding opportunity generation and also for reconciling theoretical arguments regarding the slack resource–performance link. We find that while financial slack does provide buffering capacity (in hostile and dynamic environments), and flexibility for experimentation (in munificent and dynamic environments) as suggested by prior theory, the most positive relationship between financial slack and performance for new firms was in low discretion environments (hostile and stable environments) – where firms need to develop their own opportunities. The implications of these findings for theory are discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a new conceptualization provides an integrated perspective on resource integration and transaction specificity in the knowledge governance decision and illustrates the dynamics and learning involved in knowledge outsourcing by identifying two distinct paths to KPO alliances.
Abstract: Outsourcing knowledge and innovation activities offer cost savings and superior performance, but can also put a firm's unique resources and capabilities at risk. Characterizations of outsourcing as a make-or-buy decision do not fit well with decisions on knowledge process outsourcing (KPO). KPO is a make-or-ally decision, as firms seek a governance structure that will both protect and leverage their strategic knowledge assets, with the final decision often coming down to a choice between different alliance forms. Our new conceptualization provides an integrated perspective on resource integration and transaction specificity in the knowledge governance decision. The model illustrates the dynamics and learning involved in knowledge outsourcing by identifying two distinct paths to KPO alliances.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship between a multinational firm's knowledge (i.e., marketing and technological knowledge), its use of expatriates, and the performance of its foreign subsidiaries.
Abstract: The impact of knowledge transfer on foreign subsidiary performance has been a major focus of research on knowledge management in multinational enterprises (MNEs). By integrating the knowledge-based view and the expatriation literature, this study examines the relationship between a multinational firm's knowledge (i.e. marketing and technological knowledge), its use of expatriates, and the performance of its foreign subsidiaries. We conceptualize that expatriates play a contingent role in facilitating the transfer and redeployment of a parent firm's knowledge to its subsidiary, depending on the location specificity of the organizational knowledge being transferred and the time of transfer. Our analysis of 1660 foreign subsidiaries of Japanese firms over a 15-year period indicates that the number of expatriates relative to the total number of subsidiary employees (1) strengthened the effect of a parent firm's technological knowledge (with low location specificity) on subsidiary performance in the short term, but (2) weakened the impact of the parent firm's marketing knowledge (with high location specificity) on subsidiary performance in the long term. We also found that the expatriates' influence on knowledge transfer eventually disappeared. The implications for knowledge transfer research and the expatriate management literature are discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationships between organizational justice and withdrawal outcomes and whether emotional exhaustion was a mediator of these linkages and found that individuals' justice perceptions are related to their psychological health.
Abstract: This study examined the relationships between organizational justice and withdrawal outcomes and whether emotional exhaustion was a mediator of these linkages. Data were obtained from 869 military personnel and civil servants; using structural equation modelling techniques, we examined an integrative model that combines justice and stress research. Our findings suggest that individuals' justice perceptions are related to their psychological health. As predicted, emotional exhaustion mediated the linkages between distributive and interpersonal (but not procedural and informational) justice and individuals' withdrawal reactions. Results showed that distributive and interpersonal justice negatively related to emotional exhaustion and emotional exhaustion negatively related to organizational commitment which, in turn, negatively influenced turnover intentions. These findings were observed even when controlling for the presence of contingent-reward behaviours provided by supervisors and individuals' psychological empowerment.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article examined the relationship among three family firm specific sources of top management team (TMT) diversity (the generation in charge of the family firm, the number of family employees, and the total number of employed generations) and family firm performance.
Abstract: We examine the relationships among three family firm specific sources of top management team (TMT) diversity (the generation in charge of the family firm, the number of family employees, and the number of employed generations) and family firm performance. By integrating upper-echelons and team process research, we hypothesize that these TMT diversity sources interact with information exchange frequency among TMT members to affect family firm performance. Multisource survey data with lagged performance measurement, including CEOs and TMT members from 86 family firms, support our hypotheses. We discuss the implications of our findings and develop avenues for future research.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the origin, evolution, and appropriation of social capital by new ventures seeking international growth using longitudinal case studies in the software industry, and model the dynamic influence of Social capital on new venture internationalization.
Abstract: This paper explores the origin, evolution, and appropriation of social capital by new ventures seeking international growth. Using longitudinal case studies in the software industry, we model the dynamic influence of social capital on new venture internationalization. We theorize that new ventures of founders from a globally-connected environment, such as with return migration or MNC experience, have higher stocks of initial social capital than others. We provide a nuanced analysis of the dynamic processes involved in the evolution of social capital, and highlight the mechanisms of decay and replenishment over time. Network learning plays a critical role in new ventures' ability to realize the potential contribution of social capital to international growth.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine empirically the determinants of offshore location choice between country clusters using a dataset of 1722 R&D projects by MNEs located in developed and emerging countries, examining the impact of home and host country, industry, and firm level variables on choice of location.
Abstract: This paper examines empirically the determinants of offshore location choice between country clusters. Based on a dataset of 1722 R&D projects by MNEs located in developed and emerging countries, we examine the impact of home and host country, industry, and firm level variables on choice of location. We draw on the extended OLI paradigm to develop our hypotheses. Using the EU15 as a base group, a multinomial logit model is estimated between the regions of USA&Canada, Eastern Europe&Russia, emerging countries of Asia, and India&China. At the regional level, findings show that the R&D wage difference and knowledge infrastructure difference between home and host countries, the science and engineering talent pool size, and political risk level of host countries are important determining factors. At the firm level, experience of overseas R&D projects and prior experience of research in the host country are found to be important location determinants. A distinguishing feature of the paper is that we examine regions in relation to a base region, and then further examine the impact of a marginal change in independent variables on the likelihood of the choice of a region for new offshore R&D projects.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed that family firms can employ their organizational social capital (OSC) to reach new ventures and build profitable business relationships and alliances with them, as well as assist in governing their operations.
Abstract: Organizational social capital (OSC), the goodwill and resources companies gain from their relationships with other companies, enables family firms to assemble the resources (especially knowledge) necessary for successful adaptation Connecting with new ventures, the vanguard of radical change, is a priority for family firms seeking to achieve survival, profitability and growth Yet, new ventures are often not well known and their networks are poorly structured, making access to them difficult Using the relational perspectives on interorganizational relationships, this study proposes that family firms can employ their OSC to reach new ventures Family firms can invest in these ventures, build profitable business relationships and alliances with them, as well as assist in governing their operations Data from 779 companies show that family firms are in better positions to harvest their large OSC stocks to connect with new ventures The results underscore the value of OSC as an important relational resource for family firms

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors delineate between external and internal advice seeking and investigate their impact on exploratory innovation, and argue that top management team heterogeneity moderates the impact of advice seeking on innovation.
Abstract: Research on strategic decision making has considered advice-seeking behaviour as an important top management team attribute that influences organizational outcomes Yet, our understanding about how top management teams utilize advice to modify current strategies and pursue exploratory innovation is still unclear To uncover the importance of advice seeking, we delineate between external and internal advice seeking and investigate their impact on exploratory innovation We also argue that top management team heterogeneity moderates the impact of advice seeking on exploratory innovation Findings indicated that both external and internal advice seeking are important determinants of a firm's exploratory innovation In addition, we observed that top management team heterogeneity facilitates firms to act upon internal advice by combining different perspectives and developing new products and services Interestingly, heterogeneous top management teams appeared to be less effective to leverage external advice and pursue exploratory innovation

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide background, discuss the state of the field, and place in context the articles that are featured in this special issue, and critical questions facing the field are also addressed.
Abstract: The family enterprise is capturing increased interest from scholars around the world. Yet research about family business is in its infancy and the diversity of theories and perspectives represented in the developing literature portray a cluttered and conflicted landscape. In the following, we provide background, discuss the state of the field, and place in context the articles that are featured in this special issue. Critical questions facing the field are also addressed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The role of political skill was examined in the dynamics of supervisor-subordinate relationship in Chinese firms Data from a survey of 343 employees, their 343 direct supervisors, and 662 of their peers were applied to test a model proposing that Chinesesubordinates employ political skill to influence their guanxi with their supervisors and sopromote their career development.
Abstract: The role of political skill was examined in the dynamics of supervisor–subordinaterelationship in Chinese firms Data from a survey of 343 employees, their 343 directsupervisors, and 662 of their peers were applied to test a model proposing that Chinesesubordinates employ political skill to influence their guanxi with their supervisors, and sopromote their career development We found that supervisor–subordinate guanxi mediated therelationship between political skill and career development of the subordinates Implications ofthe findings were discussed INTRODUCTION The past decade has seen the growth of a body of research on political skill in businessPolitical skill refers to ‘ the ability to effectively understand others at work and to usesuch knowledge to influence others to act in ways that enhance one’s personal and/ororganizational objectives’ (Ferris et al, 2005b, p 127) Research has addressed the directrelationship between political skill and its outcomes, including human resource decisions(Wayne et al, 1997), job/team performance (Ahearn et al, 2004; Ferris et al, 2001), andinfluence effectiveness (Kolodinsky et al, 2007), but there is very little on the process bywhich political skill functionsAdditionally, most studies of political skill have taken the supervisor’s perspective,investigating supervisors’ political skill and its effect on subordinate outcomes (egTreadway et al, 2004), subordinates’ ratings of their supervisors’ effectiveness (egDouglas and Ammeter, 2004), and team performance (Ahearn et al, 2004) However,until recently there have been very few studies examining the role of the subordinate’spolitical skill, especially its effect on career success Breland et al (2007) tested a modellinking subordinates’ political skill to their career success and including the moderatingeffect of leader–member exchange (LMX) (Dienesch and Liden, 1986; Graen and

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an alternative, relational-dialectic conception of discourse that defends an integrationist orientation to research methodology, privileging trans-disciplinarity over rigour, is proposed.
Abstract: We engage with Leitch and Palmer's (2010) analysis of Critical Discourse Analytical (CDA) scholarship in organizational and management studies, in order to argue that, whereas they rightly point to the need for further reflexivity in the field, their recommendation for a strict methodological protocol in CDA studies may be reproducing some of the problems they identify in their analysis. We put forward an alternative, relational-dialectic conception of discourse that defends an integrationist orientation to research methodology, privileging trans-disciplinarity over rigour.